Quil Lawrencehttp://northernpublicradio.org
enThe Unfinished VA Hospital That's More Than $1 Billion Over Budgethttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/unfinished-va-hospital-thats-more-1-billion-over-budget
A decade ago, plans were drawn up for a huge Veterans Affairs hospital near Denver intended to replace old and crowded facilities for nearly 400,000 vets in Colorado and neighboring states.<p>The original budget was $328 million, but that was totally unrealistic, the VA now acknowledges.Tue, 09 Jun 2015 20:07:00 +0000Quil Lawrence66304 at http://northernpublicradio.orgThe Unfinished VA Hospital That's More Than $1 Billion Over BudgetWhen Civilians Accuse Troops Of Rape, Military Courts Often Decidehttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/when-civilians-accuse-troops-rape-military-courts-often-decide
Brittany Bentz was 16 years old in 2012, living near Edwards Air Force Base in California. She went to the same martial arts studio as a family friend, who was 25 and in the Air Force.<p>"He was like a brother so I felt comfortable talking with him, hanging out with him," Bentz says.<p>It's NPR policy to name plaintiffs in sexual assault cases only if they want to tell their story — and Bentz does.<p>According to her testimony at trial, Bentz says she needed a ride to martial arts class on March 7, 2012, so she called the airman.Fri, 03 Apr 2015 17:34:00 +0000Quil Lawrence63095 at http://northernpublicradio.orgPresident Obama Visits Phoenix Hospital At Center Of VA Crisis http://northernpublicradio.org/post/president-obama-visits-phoenix-hospital-center-va-crisis
President Obama and Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald visit the veterans hospital in Phoenix Friday to announce a new outside advisory committee to help the VA with customer service. A scandal last year at the Phoenix facility led to revelations of long wait times for veterans throughout the VA medical system. <div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR.Fri, 13 Mar 2015 22:05:00 +0000Quil Lawrence62084 at http://northernpublicradio.org9 Iraqi Interpreters Sue U.S. Government Over Visa Delayshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/9-iraqi-interpreters-sue-us-government-over-visa-delays
During a decade of war, U.S. troops relied on interpreters — thousands of Iraqis and Afghans — who worked and often fought alongside Americans.<p>Many of them were promised visas to the U.S. but they have been waiting for years with no answer. Now, nine Iraqis are suing the U.S. government to get their status resolved.<p>All the Iraqis in the lawsuit go by code names because of ongoing threats to their lives.<p>Plaintiff Alpha was in an ambush with U.S. troops and got shot in the back, but he continued to work with the U.S.Wed, 11 Mar 2015 09:14:00 +0000Quil Lawrence61930 at http://northernpublicradio.orgEnd Of Life Care Can Be Different For Veteranshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/end-life-care-can-be-different-veterans
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=End+Of+Life+Care+Can+Be+Different+For+Veterans&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA4MTg5NDMyMDEzMTY1NDQwNzMwYjM3Nw004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>Half of the men who die every day in the U.S. are veterans. That's according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and it's not as shocking as it sounds. Millions of Americans who served in World War II and in Korea are now in their 80s and 90s.Wed, 28 Jan 2015 21:25:00 +0000Quil Lawrence59863 at http://northernpublicradio.orgVA Steps Up Programs As More Veterans Enter Hospice Carehttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/va-steps-programs-more-veterans-enter-hospice-care
Ask Americans if someone in their family served in the military, and the answer is probably no. After all, fewer than 1 percent of Americans serve these days.<p>But ask if one of their grandfathers served, and you'll likely get a different answer. Between World War II and the wars in Korea and Vietnam, millions of men were drafted into service — and both men and women volunteered.<p>Now, that generation of veterans is getting older. And as many of them near the end of their lives, aging into their 80s and 90s, the demand for hospice care has been growing with them.Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:30:00 +0000Quil Lawrence59821 at http://northernpublicradio.orgVA Steps Up Programs As More Veterans Enter Hospice CareVA Data Show Disparities In Veteran Benefits Spendinghttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/va-data-show-disparities-veteran-benefits-spending
<em>NPR — along with seven public radio stations around the country — is chronicling the lives of America's troops where they live. We're calling the project <a href="http://www.npr.org/series/363340041/back-at-base" target="_blank">"Back at Base."</a></em> <em>This is the first of a three-part series about veteran benefits (<a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/01/14/374055310/indiana-s-veterans-service-officers-operate-on-a-shoe-string">Part 2</a> / <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/01/15/374053079/in-remote-washington-veterans-services-are-ferry-ride-away">Part 3</a>). Tue, 13 Jan 2015 08:35:00 +0000Quil Lawrence59113 at http://northernpublicradio.orgVA Data Show Disparities In Veteran Benefits SpendingLawyers Try To Fight Death Penalty With New PTSD Understandinghttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/lawyers-try-fight-death-penalty-new-ptsd-understanding
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Lawyers+Try+To+Fight+Death+Penalty+With+New+PTSD+Understanding&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA5MTc0MDI0MDEzMzE4MjI4ODdlOTk4MA004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>No one disputes that Andrew Brannan murdered Deputy Sheriff Kyle Dinkheller in 1998. A police dashboard video chronicled the entire scene.Tue, 06 Jan 2015 21:54:00 +0000Quil Lawrence58807 at http://northernpublicradio.orgMilitary Policy Impedes Research On Traumatic Brain Injurieshttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/military-policy-impedes-research-traumatic-brain-injuries
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Military+Policy+Impedes+Research+On+Traumatic+Brain+Injuries&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA5MzE4MDYzMDEzMzQyNTcyNTY4NDMyNw001)"/></div><p>Fri, 26 Dec 2014 21:26:00 +0000Quil Lawrence58342 at http://northernpublicradio.orgVeterans Voices Multitracked, Overdubbed, Amplified Through An Actorhttp://northernpublicradio.org/post/veterans-voices-multitracked-overdubbed-amplified-through-actor
<a href="http://www.graffitiofwar.com/the-basetrack-project.html">Basetrack</a> began as a place for embedded journalists to post photos. Later it became a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/basetrack">social media site</a> where families could keep up with their troops in Afghanistan.Tue, 11 Nov 2014 08:35:00 +0000Quil Lawrence56182 at http://northernpublicradio.orgVeterans Voices Multitracked, Overdubbed, Amplified Through An Actor